Ode to the last day of summer

Zucchini fries

Happy Birthday Amia!

Proof that she was born with tons of stick-straight black hair :)

 

Poppy seed lemon cake with strawberries

Corkboard Shoji Screen for Jewelry

I picked up this shoji screen frame for $5 at an antiques store, put in corkboard panels, covered them with paper and then put in T-pins to hold my necklaces and bracelets so I can always have them in full view.

It actually plays double duty by hiding my workout stuff and travel bags.

Bank robbin' crew

Enchanted Garden Party

Amia's 4th Birthday

I made the girls' fairy crowns by twisting faux ivy vine and adding purple flowers, securing all with floral wire.

I made the place mats by cutting out rectangles of moss bedding.

A mesh canopy protected the food from insects while the girls were playing.

I tried my hand at giant crepe paper flowers that we hung around the shelter house.

I went super easy with the craft this year, just decorating fairy wands with adhesive gems and other embellishments.

Here's how I made the invitations.

Wall o' Photos

I much prefer the candid to the posed.

The Kitchen

Downsizing from a separate dining room to eat-in kitchen - this room is now full service. The good news is that we now eat more meals at the table. The dining room never seemed a casual enough spot for just us. The table was a craigslist find that I stained to match my chairs.

Apron Nook

I'm toying with the idea of using appliance paint to update the fridge and stove.

Message board and spices

I adhered Velcro to my pantry door to hang my meal list and calendar so I would still be able to take them down without putting in nail holes.

Love my hanging mugs and above-sink shelf space for my herb garden.

This metal mirror is monstrously heavy--I found it at a garage sale a few years ago. But it's the perfect spot to put my keys and sunglasses so I never misplace them again.

Papered shelves are so much prettier.

Chunky Gazpacho

Toilet Paper Wall Art

I've seen toilet paper decor pop up everywhere lately, this particular idea I got from TipJunkie.

Basically, I just creased the toilet paper rolls into an oval shape, then hot glued them to a canvas. Finally I spray painted them. Easy as pie.

Tip: If I did this project again, I would prime the rolls first, they soaked up paint like crazy - this took almost three cans of paint.

Vietnamese Noodle Salad with Shrimp